Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

exercise his royal prerogative. He has announced, that it is his intention to confer the following dignities upon some of those persons who have been most instrumental in placing him upon the throne of Holland, Verhuel is to be created Count of Vianew; Gogel, Baron Breda; and Six, Count Kuglenberg. The Dutch Papers are filled with those scenes of adulation and servility which have taken place in consequence of the recent changes in the Government. What the real sentiments of the people are, however, cannot be conceal. ed. With the exception of the French troops, whom he has gained over by caresses and places, King Louis has not a single friend in the country. When the crews of the ships in the Texel were ordered to man the yards, and give three cheers in honour of the new King, of six ships of the line, three only would comply, and the officers did not seem desirous to press it. Orders were is sued to serve out to each seaman an allowance of Geneva to drink his Majes, ty's health-to a man they declared that they were not thirsty, and therefore had no use for the liquor!

[ocr errors]

:

[ocr errors]

A

WEST INDIES.

MASSACRE AT CAPE FRANCOIS. On the 14th and 15th of May, a ge, neral massacre of all the remaining white inhabitants of Cape Francois took place, and it was said, generally throughout that part of this ill-fated island, under the dominion of Dessalines: the particulars of this tragical event are briefly these Some time previous to the 14th May, the greater part of the white French inhabitants of Cape Francois were ordered, under some pretence, to a fort three leagues from the town, and there confined; on the night of the 14th, the residue of the unfortunate people, amounting to about 150, were strangled in their beds by order of the Emperor i the blood-thirsty villains, not content with this, plunged their bayonets into their bodies, mangling them in a horrid manner; they then plundered the houses of those unfortunate people, who have thus fallen vic. tims to the avarice and cruelty of the Black Emperor. On the 13th, it reported at the Cape, that most of the inhabitants, who had been sent to the fort, had been put to death in a most

was

cruel manner, and their bodies treated with the greatest indignity,

ATTEMPT UPON DOMINICA. htt An attempt has been made upon the shipping in Roseau Bay, Dominica, which appears to have been but the precursor of a meditated attack upon that colony. The Gazette contains an official account of the capture of the enemy's vessels, and through a private channel we have received General Dalrymple's official account of the affair, The following is the substance of both :

"On the 21st of May, the crew of his Majesty's ship Dominica, lying in Roseau bay, (while all the officers except the Master were on shore) mutinied, and carried her into Guadaloupe.→→ At this time Dominica was without the immediate protection of any of our cruizers, and many very valuable sugar ships were moored in the bay. The mutineers, it appears, had advised an immediate attempt upon the town and shipping at Roseau. The French Commander at Guadaloupe (Ernouf) accordingly manned the Dominica with 73 men (including 16 soldiers,) and dispatched her on the 23d, with a schoo ner, mounting one long 9 pounder, two 2 pounders, with small arms, and 65 men, and four row boats. The Duke of Montrose Packet, Capt. Dynely, from England, had just landed her mails at Dominica, and General Dalrymple being informed that she was one of the fastest sailers in the service, and that her Commander was an enterprizing and zealous mau, but that she was weakly manned, put 26 men of the 46th, and 13 of the 3d West India regiment on board, under the command of Lieut. Wallis of the 46th. Fortunately the Wasp and Cygnet sloops arrived in the interval. The enemy seeing these vessels, destroyed their row boats, and endeavoured to escape; but the packet pursued the schooner, soon came up with her, engaged her for three quarters of an hour, and on the approach of the Cygnet she surrendered. The packet too, from her superior sailing, and judicious manoeuvres, obliged the Dominica to alter her course, by which she was thrown into the way of the Wasp, to which she surrendered. Two men were killed on board the Dominica.-Wehad not a man hurt. Gen. Dalrymple

be

bestows merited praise on the Captain of the Packet, on Lieut. Wallis, and the other officers and men engaged in the defeat of this s enterprise. He also praises the zeal of a very young gentleman, Lieut. Hamilton, of the 46th, who, though very much indisposed, insisted upon taking his turn of duty, and succeeded, with twelve men and a serjeant of the same corps, in a merchantman's boat, in retaking a colonial sloop, tho' several leagues at sea. The French General, Hortades, was on board the Dominica. Admiral Cochrane says he is at a loss to guess what could have induced an officer of his rank to engage in such petty predatory warfare, particularly as he was taken without any uni! form. One of the principal mutineers is'said to have been taken on board the Dominica.

محمد

The accounts of the state of the different islands are favourable. Letters from Barbadoes of 22d May state, that they were more healthy there than they had been for some time before. At Martinique the French were in daily expectation of a force from Europe. An expedition was expected to go from Guadaloupe against Demerara and Surinam, but every thing was in readiness to repel it. General Bowyer was about to make a tour of the islands, to inspect the fortifications, &c.

MIRANDA'S EXPEDITION,

We have as yet no information respect. ing this expedition that is entitled to implicit credit. It is certain, however, that two of his schooners attached to the expedition, have been taken by two Spanish schooners and a brig, after an action of six hours off the coast of Cumana. The Leander escaped, but two stout vessels were in pursuit of her On the other hand, according to a letter from a Commander in the expedition published in the Haytian (St Domingo, Gazette, the expedition, notwithstanding this partial disaster, has been completely successful. It states that Miranda had taken the Island of Santa Margaritta, and the towns of Barcelona and Cumana; that the army was filing off for Caraccas, and that at every step it was joined by immense nnmbers of the natives.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

nada early in June, but is thought by no means improbable that Miranda, with his Staff and troops, may have previously landed. Accounts from Trinidad state, that Admiral Cochrane had dispatched his son in the Jason frigate, with the Flying Fish tender, to cruize for Miranda, off the coast of Barcelona, and Caraccas, and to give him assurance, that every assistance in the power of the British squadron should be given to forward the success of his enterprize. The Flying Fish had returned to Trinidad, and the Lilly sloop of war had been sent to replace her Nosintelligence by the tender had transpired; but the prompt sailing of the Lilly gave rise to much speculative opinion. A report prevailed that the armourers employed at Cumana by the Spanish Goverument had been apprehended and executed on a charge of having rendered unfit for service the muskets that had been entrusted to them to repairs (5

We formerly mentioned that Mr Ogden, a New York merchant, was under prosecution for assisting to fit but Miranda's expedition. His memorial to Congress has been published. It was thrown over their table and he himself censured for libelling the Goy ernments, but vitsis a true libel sand it strikingly displays the pusillanimity of the Executive, and the servility of the prevailing party in the Legislature. Mr Ogden shews, by incontrovertible documents, that the President and Secretary of State had official communications with Miranda respecting the expedition; that although they did not openly countenance it, they gave every encouragement to American citizens to lend it every aid, and that they could easily have prevented its sailing had they been so disposed. It appears from the same memorial that Miranda rel ceived no countenance from the British Government. base agat i od 255102 GIBRALTAR, MISMAS207

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

The accounts from Gibraltar are saaltar are''s tisfactory as to the health of the garrison, but much otherwise as to its morals. On the 16th ult. a soldier was hanged for shooting his wife when drunk upon sentry, and scarcely a day #elapses without some crime or melan. choly accident happening from the shocking inebriety of the troops. General

A number of letters concur in stating, that the Leander had returned to Gre

>

General Fox gave out the following Orders on the subject lately, which, however, has had no effect in putting a stop to it.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"Gibraltar, May 28, 1806. "No. 1. The Lieutenant Governor is much shocked at the shameful drunkenness that has prevailed in the garrison for these two last days, and he has observed, that this has too often been the case on the 24th of the month. The Lieute nant Governor cannot allow himself to suppose that British soldiers can be so absurd and unlike man, that they cannot have money in their pockets without making a bad use of it. The Lieutepant Governor is determined to prevent this in future; and if it cannot be pre vented by other means, great severity, and parades every two or three hours,

must be resorted to." rain

General Fox sailed on the 28th June, to replace General Craig (who has returned to England in very bad health,) in the command in Sicily. He had been preceded by a reinforcement of four regiments, for whose safety some apprehensions were entertained, as they had no stronger convoy than one frigate, and the Spaniards were known to have eight sail of the line ready for sea at Carthagena.

66

[ocr errors]

BRITISH ARMY IN SICILY. The following General Orders have been issued by Major General Sir John Stuart to the British army in Sicily :— 907 Head-Quarters, British Army, D. Messina, May 27. 1806. "His Sicilian Majesty has been pleased to confide to Major-Gen. Sir John Stuart the chief command of the line of defence betwixt Milazzo and Cape Pas saro*, and to place under his direction, in conjunction with the British troops, the proportion of his Sicilian Majesty's forces, both regular and militia, in that extent of territory. Major-General De Rosenheim has the immediate eommand of his Sicilian Majesty's troops upon the above line, and Brigadiers Fardelia, Manichini, and the Duke de Floresta, are the General Officers acting under

*This line comprehends the whole eastern coast of the kingdom, compre hending, with Melazzo, the three important fortresses of Messina, Augusta, and Syracuse.

his orders. The regulated honours will be mutually given by the army to the General and other Officers of each nation, and the rules of military subordination and obedience, when acting together, will be reciprocal. Lieut-Colonel Bunbury, of his Britannic Majesty's service, will conduct the Quartermaster General's department for the combined troops; and references will be made to him on the objects thereof accordingly.

"The principles of respect to his Sicilian Majesty's Government-of unanimity with his troops, and kind civility towards the inhabitants-were fully inculcated by his Excellency Sir James Craig, in his orders to the British army; and the happy effects of obedience to those orders have been already so for tunately manifest, that the Major-General, not only finds a reiteration of them unnecessary, but he is gratified in the opportunity of alluding to a subject in which the example of the officer, and the discipline of the soldier, have been so gratefully proved in their consequences. The officers of his Sicilian Majesty, Sir John Stuart is persuaded, will second, in cultivating the same dispositions in their orders with respect to the British army. Engaged in the same interests, and against the same common eneny of our allied and gra. cious Sovereigns, they will, of course, be equally sensible of the importance of that harmony which will be the most auspicious basis to our future enterprizes, and the surest pledge of our successes in the objects for which we are united."

By the last accounts from Sicily, they had not the smallest expectation of any attempt being made upon that Island by the French; on the contrary, the French were busy fortifying the different Islands on the Coast of Naples, to protect them from Sir Sidney Smith, of whom they were very ap prehensive.

Sir Sidney was at Palermo when the last accounts from Sicily reached Malta: he had supplied Gæta with every kind of stores and provisions they required, and no fears were entertained for the safety of that place. The Prince, of . Hesse had driven some Neapolitan of ficers out of the garrison with ignominy who had proposed to surrender.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

A French flotilla destined to blockade Gaeta has been intercepted. The following account of this brilliant affair is given in the Gazette, from a letter transmitted by Lord Collingwood from Capt. Prowse, of the Sirius, dated Malta, April 27thy

[ocr errors]

1:00

[ocr errors]

fine vessel, sails well, and is fit for his Majesty's service?

15

The Gazette of the 15th July Contains an account of a gallant enterprize performed by the boats of the Minerva frigate, in substance as follows:

Besides the Commodore, taken, of 18 twelve pounders, 1 thirty pounder carronade, and 189 men, eight other vessels were opposed to the Sirius! viz. one of 18 nine pounders, 2 pound carronades, and 160 men, two of 12 MY LORD,Being 6 or 7 leagues nine pounders; one of 120 eighteen to the eastward of Civita Vecchia on pounders, and two 68 pounder carrothe 17th instant, at two P. M. I gained nades; and four of four pounders, and intelligence that a French force was to I thirty-six pounder carronade each. acha have sailed that morning from thence, Another letter from Lord Collingwood and were to proceed to Naples. I states, that the boats of the Renommee crowded a press of sail in the same di- and Nautilus had most gallantly boarded, rection; and at a quarter past four they carried and brought out from under the were seen from the mast-head near shore. guns of the town of Torre de Vieja, and On closing with them just after sunset, I under the fire of more than 100 muskehad the satisfaction of seeing one ship, teers, a Spanish schooner of o guns and three brigs (corvettes), and five heavy 38 men. She was moored with a chain gun-vessels, a list of which is annexed, within half pistol shot of the shore; had formed in compact order of battle, with boarding nettings up, and and was in vas in every in two leagues of the Tiber, and near a respect prepared to receive the boats, as dangerous shoal, lying to, with resolu- were also the batteries and musketeers, tion to await our attack. At seven, In the boats Mr Charles Forbes, mid. within pistol-shot, we commenced firing shipman, and 6 men were woundedwith vigour from both sides, and conti. The enemy had 9.men wounded, one nued closely engaged with the squadron of them mortally, the others severelyy for two hours, when the Commodore, in the ship, hailed he had surrendered." His gallant and determined resistance, together with the dangers of the shore, and the crippled condition of his Majesty's ship, (the smoothness of the water admitting the enemy to use their guns with the greatest effect,) prevented me from pursuing the remainder of the flotilla, although several were much dis. abled, and compelled, a short time before the ship struck, to ceasefiring, and make off. Had it been daylight, I have no doubt, from the firm and gallant conduct evinced by the officers and ship's company, that we should have succeeded in capturing more of the een with wine, &c. Not a man was. nemy's vessels. I have deeply to lament the loss of my nephew, the only officer, and eight seamen and marines, killed in the above contest, and three officers and seventeen seamen and marines wounded, nine of whom are in a ve-n ry dangerous state. The ship captured is called La Bergere, mounting eigh teenlong twelve-pounders, manned with one hundred and eighty-nine men, and was commanded by Chaney Dulovis, Capitaine of a frigate, and Commodore of the flotilla, and belonging to the Le gion of Honour. She is a remarkably

[ocr errors]

Learning that there were some lugger privateers in Finisterre bay, under the protection of the fort, Captain Collier sent the cutter and barge, manned with yolunteers, under Lieutenants Mulcaster and Ogle Moore, and Lieut. Menzies of the marines, to scour the bay. Our tars landed, carried the fort, mounting eight 12 and 24 pounders, spiked the guns, made prisoners of a part of the Spanish guard, and brought off in triumph five Spanish luggers, lad

hurt on either side, although the boats on their return, during a calm of nearly three hours, were exposed to the fire of a two gun battery, from a hill to the southwards of the town:nim197 € Tot va10

The Commerce, Captain DalrympleņTM from Penang, was totally lost in Madras Roads, in December last · Lord George Stewart (who was a passenger) with his Lady and Captain Dalrymple, got sale on shore. The ship went in pieces, and a number of lives were lost, from the impatience, of those who wanted to go on shore in the night. All who stayed with the wreck were saved.

SCOT.

[ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

AddNERAL ASSEMBLY.

of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland to the King. MAY IT PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY," most dutiful and

T

[merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

we recognize your Majesty's paternal care for your people, in calling forth the resources of this flourishing country to resist the repeated aggressions of our foe. Far from murmuring at the sacrifices and burdens which the duration of the contest may re

W loyal subjects, the Ministers and le- quire, we join the unanimous voice of our

ders of the Church of Scotland, niet in the General Assembly, beg leave to approach the throne of our gracious Sovereign with the unanimous expression of our affectionate and zealous attachment to your Person and Government

[ocr errors]

The present circumstances of national danger unite the exertions of all your Majesty's faithful subjects; and the immense accessions of strength acquired by our enemy on the Continent of Europe, although they increase the difficulties of the arduous contest in which the nation is engaged, invigorate in our breasts every sentiment of loyalty and upublic spirit. In the whole course of his unexampled career, the present ruler of France has never obtained any triumph over Britain; and he has not hitherto been able even to attempt the execution of his threats of invasion. The protecting arm of Divine Providence has been extended over a nation which has persevered in opposing its influence to the wild progress of inordinate anibition. A succession of the most brilliant naval victories, clouded, alas! by the death of Lord Viscount Nelson, but illumined by the glory of many heroes, who emulate this fame, has given security to our shores, our colonies, and our commerce and the magnanimity and patriotism with which all orders of men combine their efforts in maintaining the independence of Britain, have been rewarded by its remaining, amidst the wreck of nations, a great and powerful State, with all its institutions intire, with its spirit unbroken, and its dominions enlarged by the most valuable conquests.

t

fellow-subjects in applauding the promptitude and energy of the measures lately taken for vindicating our just rights in the North of Europe. And we trust in God, that the wisdom and vigour of your Majesty's Councils, the valour and good conduct of your fleets and armies, and the firmness, fortitude, and good sense of a loyal people, will enable your Majesty to conduct the operations of a vigorous and successful war to an honourable conclusion.

Deeply impressed with a sense of the sa Ministers and Elders of the Church of cred duty which, at such a time as this, the Scotland owe to their country, we pledge ourselves to your Majesty that we will continue, in our several stations, to exert our influence with alacrity and zeal in cherishing those sentiments of public spirit which become a people who know the value of their unrivalled constitution, and in promoting that righteousness which exalteth a nation, which is the best expression of gratitude to the God of our Fathers, and the best encouragement to hope that he will continue to bless our land.

Ascservants of the Prince of Peace, we pray for a termination of the present come motions of Europe. But beholding with just indignation the growing iniquity of a system, which shakes the stability of all regular Goverments, and reading in the fate of many States on the Continent an awful warning against that unwise policy, which would seek to escape present danger by grasping at a delusive peace, inconsistent with the principles of justice and honour, Edinburgh, 24th May 1806. July 1806.

your Majesty's arms by sea and land; that That Almighty God may give success to the means employed for the national de fence may effectually defeat the designs of our enemy; that peace and truth may meet in our days; that the administration tinue to establish your throne in the hearts of your Majesty's Government may conof your subjects; and that the descendants of your illustrious House, forming themselves upon your example, may sway the British latest posterity, are the earnest prayers of, sceptre with justice and renown to the may it please your Majesty, your Majesty's most dutiful, most faithful, and most obedient subjects, the Ministers and Elders. met in this General Assembly of the Church of Scotland...

Signed in our name, in our presence, and at our appointment, by

WM. TAYLOR Moderator.

[ocr errors]

LORD

[ocr errors]
« ZurückWeiter »